The Humble Rumble: An A on A Rails.

Flipping through my Hot Rod Trend Books or Don Montgomery “Hot Rod” series from time to time usually reveals new details about exactly how roadsters were built in the ‘high water’ time between the post-war days and the early 50s. Don shows a clear case for why the Ford Roadster was the quintessential late Forties hot rod, and why the ’32 was the holy grail (as it arguably still is today). Montgomery also explains that the ’28/’29 A Roadster was the clear second choice to the guy that couldn’t afford the Deuce right away. For whatever reason the ’30/’31 A wasn’t nearly as popular (which he believes was simply a preferred choice for the earlier body style).

Once the early A was selected, the most popular set up was a ’29 on ’32 rails because the combination netted a V-8 engine already placed in the rails. It also gave the car a clean look that hide the undercarriage and gave a “clean and finished appearance”. Now the next tier down from that would be my little jalopy: The ’29 Model A on A rails. This was the working man’s A-V8 hot rod. The ‘Pepper Tree Mechanic’ had enough money to buy a ratty A Roadster and enough basic skills fix it up, but maybe not enough dough to spring for a 1932 chassis and full house Flathead. That might come later. It could still have a banger, but it’s more likely to have a used Eight under the hood. This would be the car he might drive for a few years till he traded up to a Deuce or took his car back apart and built it up for the salt or as a high zoot show car.

I guess I like the ‘A on A rails’ cause it’s simple, honest, and humble. Just happy to be on the road and not looking for too much attention.

(photo courtesy of Bob Morton)